Best milk type for toddler? (ie Rice, almond, coconut, etc)?

[babyonway]

DD has been EBF but she is starting to wean a bit so I want to offer her milk at meals. However with so many options I don't know what is best so look for the BBB for its wonderful wisdom.

Goats milk, cows milk, almond milk, rice milk... the list goes on and on. What offers the best nutrition to a toddler?

TIA!!!

[wellyes]

Get milk closest to breastmilk - cow or goat. Start with cow's milk, it is inexpensive and fortified with vitamin d. Goat milk is a little easier to digest, so, also a fine choice.

[marymoo86]

coconut milk here

Cow milk is not close in composition to breastmilk and continued use of drinking milk in humans of another species is not natural no matter what is advertised by the dairy industry. Calcium absorption is better obtained through other food.

[Katigre]

I would not do rice milk because of arsenic concerns.

Sent from Katigre's Galaxy S3

[wellyes]

The only problem with coconut milk is that it's usually canned. Watch out for BPA.

[sste]

Coconut milk is much lower in fat (and the fat that is there is saturated). Growing toddlers, preschoolers, etc. need alot of fat and cow's milk is an easy way to get much of that along with some vitamin D and iron.

If you did coconut milk I would supplement with foods daily that are quite high in fat and iron. I would also not use canned coconut milk for the reasons wellyes describes.

[Katigre]

Coconut milk is much lower in fat (and the fat that is there is saturated). Growing toddlers, preschoolers, etc. need alot of fat and cow's milk is an easy way to get much of that along with some vitamin D and iron.

If you did coconut milk I would supplement with foods daily that are quite high in fat and iron. I would also not use canned coconut milk for the reasons wellyes describes.

Have you checked refrigerated coconut milk beverages? They're quite high in fat and the vitamin d in cows milk is not sufficient anyway

Sent from Katigre's Galaxy S3

[sste]

Have you checked refrigerated coconut milk beverages? They're quite high in fat and the vitamin d in cows milk is not sufficient anyway

Sent from Katigre's Galaxy S3

I am comparing whole fat cow's milk to the average coconut milk product which is eight grams versus five grams. Perhaps you are drinking super-fatted coconut milk?

Coconut milk is significantly higher in saturated fat which has caused various public health groups to flag it as a concern.

Coconut milk is also significantly lower in protein which is a concern for developing children.

Nowhere did I say that the milk in vitamin D is sufficient (that is a very controversial question with data gaps). I said the vitamin D in milk is more than the vitamin D in coconut milk. I am not one to spend my precious free time scrutinizing the label of every coconut product in the grocery store! So I cannot say whether one of the many brands of canned and non-canned coconut milk have more vitamin D added. However, I do not think that is what the OP was asking.

[marymoo86]

The only problem with coconut milk is that it's usually canned. Watch out for BPA.


Coconut milk is much lower in fat (and the fat that is there is saturated). Growing toddlers, preschoolers, etc. need alot of fat and cow's milk is an easy way to get much of that along with some vitamin D and iron.

If you did coconut milk I would supplement with foods daily that are quite high in fat and iron. I would also not use canned coconut milk for the reasons wellyes describes.


Have you checked refrigerated coconut milk beverages? They're quite high in fat and the vitamin d in cows milk is not sufficient anyway

Sent from Katigre's Galaxy S3

I was referring to coconut milk beverage - thanks Katigre. Cow's milk is low in iron and can cause deficiency.

I do give high fat greek yogurt so I am not opposed to all dairy as the probiotics are beneficial.

[sste]

Yes mistyped and thinking about milk and cereal which is one of the things we fed dd to keep her iron up. Milk has vit d but is not a good source of iron. Coc milk has more iron but still more saturated fat, less protein, less fat (whole milk), and of course the bpa issue.

In a child without allergies or intolerances, few if any mainstream pediatricians would rec an all coconut milk diet for a toddler. All things coconut are a major fad right now. I would not worry about iron unless your child's bloodwork shows low iron and then I would supplement.

[sunnyside]

I'm always wondering too, as my DD is still nursing and as such, has never had cow milk. I hate cow milk and my DD's ped thinks that maybe a natural aversion due to an allergy as my DD had MSPI from age 4-8 months. I've always been a little wary of giving my DD cow milk due to this.

She's now 2.5 and has never really had anything to drink other than breast milk and water. Maybe once a month for the past year, she has had some alternative. Juice once, hot cocoa a couple times, etc. I keep believing that water is the healthiest and that she doesn't need to drink any calories, but I'm no expert.